1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a demountable dehydrator tray and more particularly to such a tray having operative components forming a frame for the tray which facilitate the repair or replacement of worn and broken slats as well as deteriorating portions of the components themselves in such a manner as to preserve the structural integrity of the tray.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dehydrators are employed in drying vegetative matter for a variety of purposes. Particularly where fruit is the material to be dried, most processes employ wooden trays having a plurality of slats spaced from each other to define air passages therebetween, but sufficiently close together to form a suitable supporting surface for the fruit. Such trays conventionally consist of a rigid rectangular wooden frame to which are nailed the wooden slats arranged as noted. Thousands of these trays are used in dehydrators over relatively short periods of time. During such use they are stacked in multiple layers while weighted down with fruit, subjected to the drying heat and otherwise subject to abusive treatment. As a result, the slats of the trays and the frames themselves frequently become worn and broken requiring replacement in order to permit continued use of the trays.
Rehabilitation of such worn and broken trays requires that they be disassembled by removal of the nails or staples holding them together and then reassembled using new slats. Removal of the nails and staples contributes to fragmentation and deterioration of the wooden frame. Furthermore, it is often difficult, if not impossible, to retain the precisely rectangular configuration and structural integrity desired. In any event, the operation is so onerous and time consuming and the results frequently so unsatisfactory that such dilapidated trays are frequently simply destroyed when no longer usable.
Therefore, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have a dehydrator tray which possesses a durability and dependability of operation, permits the expeditious replacement of worn and broken slats and structural components of the frame, and insures that its original configuration is precisely preserved in the reassembled tray with little or no attention to this detail of assembly.